The mine site also sustains the largest population of the southern subspecies of the black-throated Finch, which is endangered.

The implications of the mega-mine go well beyond a few imperilled species. If the mine goes ahead, it will be one of the biggest in the world — and the emissions from burning its mountains of coal would cancel out all gains made from Australia’s current emissions-reduction strategy.

On top of the frightening precedent it would set, the Abbott government appears to be double-dealing.

There was an agreement among the Environment Minister, the mine’s proponent (the Adani Group from India), and the Mackay Conservation Group that the mine’s approval should be set aside temporarily, until the conservation issues could be properly considered by the Minister. The parties agreed that the decision would be reconsidered in six to eight weeks.

But the federal government responded by attacking environmental groups opposed to the mine, calling them “vigilantes”.

And now, the government wants to wipe out the right of environmental groups to challenge decisions that violate the EPBC law — despite the fact that less than 0.4% of all resource-development projects have been halted under the EPBC Act.

All this comes amid increasing calls by Australia’s neighbouring nations for a moratorium on new coal mines to prevent dangerous climate change.

This isn’t the first time the Abbott government has attacked environmental groups, and it may not be the last. It’s time to turn up the heat on the coal-loving Abbott government — by signing this petition — before it makes the world hotter for all of the rest of us.

8 responses

[…] shelf. I sincerely hope you won’t be able to do as much damage in your current portfolio as your former environmental one because you and your cronies set back by decades the environmental int… through your negligence and […]

May I share this article with my fellow members of an NGO (The Kenneth Anderson Nature Society or KANS in short) that is fighting for environment and ecology in certain parts of South India? And, also with e-groups dedicated to conservation? Thanks –